This October, a trip mysterious Winchester Mystery House was just the right way to kick off the month. The house is a great piece of Bay Area history and the kids got the unique opportunity to learn not just about Mrs. Winchester and her house, but also how the area has been changed by historical events such as the 1906 Earthquake.
The story goes, that Sarah Winchester, after the deaths of both her young daughter and husband, consulted a psychic who told her to move out West, buy a house and build on it, but never finish. The psychic explained the reason her family had died was the spirits of all the people ever killed with the Winchester Rifle were punishing her. So Winchester moved out to San Jose, California and turned an 8 room farmhouse into a 160 room mansion that is now visited by thousands of visitors every year. The house comes with stairs that lead down to go up, doors that lead to walls, and even a door that leads to nowhere.
Our group got to see the house, which was remodeled over 600 times while Mrs. Winchester was alive, along with the behind the scenes places like the stables, agricultural buildings, and even the basement. What a treat to see how such an eccentric person lived and the piece of history she created.
And what Raphael House field trip is complete without a picnic lunch? And perhaps a little swing competition...
Is there meant to be someone standing in the window of the second picture??
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